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The Spectacle Blog
Since 1993, Grover Norquist has held an off-the-record meeting every Wednesday where conservative activists, policy wonks, and government officials exchange ideas about policy and politics. Sometimes journalists attend. Depending on a particular journalist’s ideological and partisan disposition — which can vary quite a lot given the state of our media landscape, which includes both ‘straight news’ reporters (i.e. people who attempt to hide the almost-always-left-of-center opinions that shape their journalistic choices) and opinion journalists with various worldviews and temperaments — journalists may be there to get ideas that will influence how they think about issues, or they may just be there to get perspective on how conservatives are thinking about the issues of the day.
The Wednesday Meeting has periodically been the source of breathless fear-mongering on the left about the all-powerful conservative conspiracy to control media narratives. This is, of course, absurd. Much of the hyperventilating over Journolist is equally absurd, John Guardiano’s included.
Everyone who has reason to be embarrassed by a direct quote in the Daily Caller’s series on Journolist is an openly opinionated commentator. (The one partial exception is Jeffrey Toobin, who presents himself as a middle-of-the-road analyst on CNN, but his weaselly nature has always been pretty obvious.) Everyone who has been shown to have their work influenced by conversations on Journolist is, likewise, a commentator. That Chris Hayes tries to get perspective from other liberals before he goes on TV to opine on a topic, or that Joe Klein incorporates ideas from off-the-record exchanges into his blog posts, is not exactly earthshaking news. Commentators on the right do exactly the same thing — it’s just our emails don’t get leaked because we’re smart enough not to conduct these exchanges on listservs where we let the audience expand to include 400 people. This practice is a double-edged sword — you get the benefit of idea-sharing, but you have to be careful not to get sucked into groupthink. Liberals seem more prone to the latter failing, but that’s more a problem for them than for anyone else, and it’s not much of a scandal.
The straight-news reporters who were on Journolist are being accused of being complicit in the partisan hackery they observed (even if they didn’t participate in the discussions), but the charge doesn’t really wash unless you can look at their work and point out how it is skewed by exposure to liberal conversations. Orrin Judd provides some useful perspective:
[O]ur friend Rick Perlstein was on the list and, in the meantime, he also had his own list of pet conservatives from whom he’d gather the opposing viewpoints. So there’s nothing wrong with the list per se. Nor does this seem like a conspiracy to shape the news, no matter how much a few participants might have wished it to be one.
This brings us to the conduct of the Daily Caller itself. It is a bit precious for Tucker Carlson, who spent years cohosting Crossfire with James Carville and Paul Begala — two of the most unprincipled Democratic hacks in the world — to act like he’s shocked, shocked to find evidence of partisanship among liberal commentators. (By implying symmetry between partisans on the left and opinionated but not-so-partisan commentators on the right, by the way, Crossfire did more to influence public discourse to the disadvantage of conservatives than Journolist could ever hope to.)
More seriously, Carlson is being flat-out disingenuous when he puts the burden on Journolist members to release the context of the threads that Jonathan Strong has reported on with a gloss that the people quoted all say is misleading. Everyone on Journolist was party to an off-the-record agreement. As explained above, having people trust you to keep conversations off the record is an important part of practicing journalism. (It shouldn’t be a surprise that my source, who was willing to break the agreement to the extent that he treated an off-the-record discussion as an on-background discussion, is an academic, not a journalist.) The Caller is in possession of the complete threads (I gave them too much credit when I assumed they must not be), and was not party to that agreement. If the Caller is witholding information from readers to sensationalize the narrative, as the people they’re quoting all claim that they are, they are practicing tabloid journalism.
And you know what? That’s okay! There’s room on our media landscape for tabloid journalism. The National Enquirer holds back information to sell more newspapers, and also pays sources. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t value in busting John Edwards when the mainstream media wouldn’t touch him, it just means that when you read the National Enquirer you have to keep in mind the kind of operation they run. If Tucker Carlson wants to run his website like a tabloid, he’s welcome to do so — but he shouldn’t be lecturing anyone about journalistic scruples.
ECM| 7.23.10 @ 3:43PM
Err, if they get results "why do you have to keep in mind the kind of operation they run", exactly?
Professional jealousy (in this case directed at Carlson) is an ugly fit on anyone, and it's especially poor form coming from AmSpec.
Postliberal | 7.23.10 @ 4:04PM
The scandal of Journo-list is less in the writers' partisan opinions about politics, than in their contemptuous opinion of the public. They think the media's job is filling empty heads, deafening ears and drowning out voices. Of course many knew this, but we didn't have their own words to show anybody who didn't know.
Mimi| 7.23.10 @ 4:11PM
John, ...John,...John...What are you trying to do here, coat candy on top of a do-do cone? Blaming the messenger ( Daily Caller ) is an old known trick! Conservative's just got a JOLT of some courage pills and we've just begun to fight (and will get) our country back!......It is reported..there are 400 or so of these Journ-o-lists. My hope is that there are some honest, honorable, conscience-stricken MSN top-dogs sitting in board-rooms, that have the guts and courage to give out letters of termination to these AMATEURS! Lets call a spade a spade, we are watching America disintegrating before our eyes!!!
Jesme| 7.23.10 @ 4:44PM
Delightful. This conservative journalist agrees with almost every word. One thing though--one of the Journolistos recommended that Obama's defenders simply pick out a prominent conservative critic at random and denounce him as a racist. That's blatantly unethical, even for an opinion journalist. You know the old saying--we're entitled to our own opinions, but not to our own facts. Deliberately slandering somebody is a violation of journalistic ethics, even for opinion columnists.
Tim*| 7.23.10 @ 7:58PM
We are in A Media War .
Bankrupt The Mainstream Media .
CalMark| 7.23.10 @ 8:38PM
John Tabin has been spinning this major conspiracy as just a couple of minor players not worthy of notice exchanging inconsequential emails.
Tabin's cover-up has required (as cover-ups always do) thousands of words and tortuous exposition. In the process of rationalizing and covering up to defend his buddies, Tabin is destroying his own journalistic credibility.
Old saying: "If you're working too hard to justify your conclusion, you have the wrong conclusion." That describes John Tabin reporting on Journolist.
Alice| 7.23.10 @ 10:25PM
It is not disingenuous to tell someone who is claiming they are personally being quoted out-of-context to explain the context in which their words ought to be taken. In fact, phrased another way, Carlson is inviting people who feel they need to defend themselves to do so. He is saying that he sees to need or has no desire to defend the quoted persons, however, so that's a fair assessment.
While a number of the comments are largely uninteresting to me (I don't care if whats-her-face sticks pins into a voodoo-doll of Limbaugh because so long as she doesn't actually hurt the guy, she's allowed to think whatever she likes), the fact remains that there were members of this list-serv that used it to coordinate talking-points for the Obama campaign, particularly in response to the Palin nomination. And the fact that there was a thread to "get stories straight," so to speak, is very disturbing. The fact that there were discussions on how best to downplay the connection between Obama and Wright is downright disgusting. Clearly journalistic ethics aren't the strong suit of anyone defending that hot mess.
Yosemeti Sam| 7.24.10 @ 1:15AM
Um - PEN1 shock troops have their devil advocate apologists.
It's still the same old story ...fight...glory...as time goes by.
Um - blowing a kiss.
Bert| 7.24.10 @ 10:22AM
Gee Johnny your pathetic attempts to brush off this huge scandal on how mdia actingh as campaign operaqtives and strategist for the Obaam team makes everyone wonder whose side you really are and what do you have to hide ? Watching you spin spin spin for the Marxist Obama State Media Elites makes me wonder if the American Spectator has been scammed by you since it appears your trying desperately trying to dismiss the impact of this well coordinated organization of democratic party campaign operatives posing as media employees.
JOhnny why does this story really scare you ??
Are you afraid of something that may accidently come out ??
JGien| 7.24.10 @ 12:20PM
You seem to miss the point. What was exposed were journalists who would have the American public believe they ARE OBJECTIVE journalists and are reporting unbiased OBJECTIVE facts. They are in fact propagandists hiding under the guise of OBJECTIVE journalists.
Everyone has a right to their opinions, thoughts, political views just say TRUTHFULLY what they are and don't hide behind the FALSE persona of objective reporting!
Mimi| 7.24.10 @ 2:32PM
JGien: Good post ! I just wonder what will be the outcome for the outed. Will they be allowed to continue to influence the election in NOVEMBER?? Will they lie? Cover-up? Conseal? Or the same old, same old. One thing we can thank Daily Caller for is knowledge of the abuse, and to be on the lookout..... If their still around.
Nolann Ryann| 7.24.10 @ 8:27PM
Tabin continually misses the point. It isn't uncommon.
Nolann Ryann| 7.24.10 @ 8:22PM
Once again Tabin you prove what a dunce on Am Spec blog looks and acts like. You've defended the Adams project and now this liberal sound machine. You've become an internet joke. Why don't you just go ahead and work for the New Republic, The Nation or another rag, because you've really got no clue and this further illustrates your limited faculties. Why anyone gives you a platform is a total mystery.
Sam Houston| 7.24.10 @ 9:21PM
'Nothing to see here folks, move along..'
-- Tabin
Bit of a stretch there John, to say that everyone does this. No, we (meaning Conservatives, meaning 'Americans') don't. It is long a Statist tactic to propagandize and to wield the public microphone as an implement of personal destruction (see 'The Words they Use, by Balint Vazsonyi). Face it, Leftists are not journalists, they are propagandists. Furthermore, they are not Americans, since they uniformly heap abuse on the USA at every turn and take sides with every Statist tyrant who happens along.
MaggieLyn| 7.24.10 @ 9:23PM
I have had it with so-called journalists that use their position as a journalist to actually be a political activist! The interesting thing is that they have underestimated the intelligience of the voting public! We are free thinkers and have seen through their biased writings. You are killing your own industry with your dishonesty!
ann| 7.25.10 @ 2:26AM
Hilarious. John, are you just another soft headed RINO or are you more about preserving the hallowed place and reputation of our MSM - such as it is.
These people are a microcosm of what the MSM has been doing for years and the real conservative media figures who are actually fighting the good fight rather than protecting acquaintances (as Useful Idiots in the grand McCain tradition) and the MSM status quo are the ones forcing these Urinolisters into the kind of unethical and indefensible activities that occur where ever they are but were only glimpsed due to the poor use of technology.
You're either part of the problem or you're working on exposing them and being part of a solution. I never thought I'd say this - but Go Tucker!!
Ezra | 7.26.10 @ 12:35PM
I don't see anything wrong with having a list for the media to gather together and discuss things. For this reason I have brought it back up, but this time it will be kept public.
http://www.journolist.org
Ralph Novy| 7.26.10 @ 4:56PM
Mr. Tabin:
Hear, hear.
I reckon you got it exactly right, gauging by the unhinged ad hominems hurled at you by the wingnuts here.
Keep it up -- speaking truth to rabid fanatics, that is.
You might care to have a look at Jason Linkins' take on this at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....59485.html
enemy2k| 7.27.10 @ 12:46AM
Conservatives get together all the time and plan and plot things to smear liberals. Fox News does it every morning, Norquist does it every Wednesday with tons of bloggers, commentators and even journalists who act objective but are actually conservative shills.
enemy2k| 7.27.10 @ 12:47AM
Or how about when Bush admin was paying conservative journalists to write pro Bush propaganda in news papers? Conservatives didn't care then, and that was happening with many writers.
David| 7.27.10 @ 11:04AM
Openly biased commentators with a shared partisan agenda coordinate their talking points?
THIS IS SHOCKING NEWS! THE SKY IS FALLING!
Ghjost| 7.27.10 @ 2:52PM
The great irony here is that journalists from both bends do this EVERY DAY. For a couple decades now The FNC, Rush, Drudge, and the RNC have maintained steady coordination in their stories, arguments, opinions, and overall "talking points" seeming to shift on cue with one another the focus of their zeal from one oversensationalized event to the next. Now, we're all aghast that the left are attempting to create a system of propaganda to rival (though pale in comparison to) the right wing echo chamber. You folks are being duped into feigning consternation over your preferred propaganda outlets' paltry competition. This is a perfect example of the pot callin the kettle black, and I'm calling bullsh*t on this whole mess. While we're all worried about the potential ability of this group to shape political realities, real news is being ignored. You've all been duped into getting your panties in a wad, and therefore being completely distracted from reality. Enjoy your delusions.
John Guardiano | 7.28.10 @ 3:56PM
I continue my friendly debate with John Tabin over at NewsReal Blog. Tabin equates the conservative Wednesday Group with the left-wing Journolist. This, however, is a specious comparison that doesn't hold up under scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the Journolisters -- Ezra Klein, Matthew Yglesias, Spencer Ackerman, Dave Weigel, et al. -- continue to dissemble.
http://bit.ly/9AE0pP